This invention relates to a cash box more particularly of a type having a base and a lid with a coin tray in the box.
It is known for cash boxes to be produced with the lid and base being from the same die tool and thus having substantially identical, external, width and length dimensions. It is known to provide a peripheral seal interposed between the lid and the base, thereby permitting both the lip of the lid (top part) and the lip of the base (bottom part) to be provided by a plain free edge which facilitates manufacture. In a previous design of the Applicant (see Patent Application No. 2155443A--the disclosure content of which is hereby incorporated by reference) the peripheral seal is integral with a coin tray and in another previous design of the Applicant (see Patent Application No. 8813580.1--the disclosure content of which is hereby incorporated by reference) the coin tray is separate to the peripheral seal. In both designs, disadvantageously, it is possible in some instances for damage to occur to the seal or coin tray because the seal is sandwiched in between the lid and base and the seal projects beyond the external width and length of the lid and the coin tray/seal is usually made of plastics which is breakable.
Other designs of cash box not involving a peripheral seal, but having a lid and base formed from the same die tool generally require the lip on the base to be deformed inwardly in a stepped manner (joggled) to provide an overlap and seat for the lid in order to provide an outward appearance of a flush fitting of the lid and base. Such a "joggling" operation tends to be laborious and relatively expensive.
Also, previous designs of cash box have involved a key operated cylinder lock having a notched tongue rotatable with the barrel of the lock to a locking position in which the notch engages over a locking bar on the underside of the lid. Thus, the closed position of the lid relative to the base is only maintained by the key operated lock mechanism. However, it is believed that it is possible to improve the versatility of such a locking mechanism and that to be able to retain the lid in the closed position on the base by means of the key operated lock mechanism alone tends to be disadvantageous in some instances.